”Horhay” Tafua

[Lyonstomenzies]

I’m expecting a pretty good season from Jorge.

He didn’t get a chance under Des as he started first grade in 2012, but I think the last two seasons his injuries have really hampered his game.

Yes he will still have trouble with the high ball and yes he will still drop the occasion pass that he’s meant to catch, but his powerful runs and hits in defence were really missed last year.

If his training photos are anything to go by then he is looking fitter than ever.

Your thoughts???

 

[Tomay]

So long as he doesn’t drop the ball in tackles and while trying to play it (even when he plays it so slowly). People underestimate how good he is coming out of our end and he’s a strong finisher. Hopefully Des will get him going.

 

[Chip and Chase]

Have always been a big fan of Jorge, but the last couple of seasons he has been cruelled by injury and hasn't really had an impact.

I'm worried his best is behind him, he just doesn't seem to provide any impact and isn't really dynamic these days. Everything he does just seems slow motion, sure he is powerful but he isn't explosive. Wingers these days are so important and need to have more strings to their bow then just finishing.

I'd love nothing more then for Horhay to have a massive year and prove me wrong, but can't see it myself. He'll be solid no doubt, but a lot of the good wingers are more than solid these days, they are weapons.

* waits to see how many posts before someone suggests he moves to bench

 

[Pablo]

I watched a game from early 2013 recently and he was amazing. Ran hard, set up some good plays and had some silky skills. The commentators were loving him.
So he CAN do it.........

 

[Ryan]

+ Needs to be able to score long range tries
+ Needs to catch
+ Needs to be intense (play-the-ball quickly, not allow a defensive line to get set while he stands up)
+ Needs to hold onto the ball better when he's in a tackle
+ Needs to play wing as well as help out the forwards

 

[mickqld]

Got to get back to 2013 form or he needs to go.

 

[maxta]

A fit free running Jorge is a 7/10 winger all day.
His carries out of the danger zone is equal to any winger and his ability to finish, carrying defenders from 5-10 metres out is
powerhouse, scoring tries others simply can't.
Defensively bashes a few on the jam and has not been helped recently with his decision making due to his inside men making
poor reads and missed tackles.
The pre season training photo's show a bloke who is ready to reignite his game, but imho his best has come and gone.
I feel he has some carry over, lingering injuries and this is a big part of confidence which leads to critical errors and makes it
easier to feel lethargic.....which is more than just injuries.
Hope he can get back to his early form - would be a Massive asset.

 

[Woodsie]

One of the realities of life is when we look for something ... we can see it everywhere .... just on Jorge's dropped balls etc .... here is a list that took 2 minutes to compile .... I did not look for the worst ... just names we all know ....

ERROR RATES:

Jorge Taufau .. 12 games .. 13 errors ... average 1.08 per game.
Corey Oates .. 23 games .. 25 errors ... average 1.09 per game
Val Holmes .. , 26 games ... 23 errors ... average 0.88 per game
Ado Carr .. 25 games ... 25 errors ... average 1.00 per game
B, French ... 18 games .. 24 errors ... average 1.33 per game
Ferguson ... 27 games ... 34 errors ... average 1.26 per game
Tupou ... 17 games ... 20 errors ... average 1.18 per game ...

It is very clear that Jorges error rate is no higher than the best and certainly better than most wingers .....

 

[Ryan]

A fit free running Jorge is a 7/10 winger all day.
His carries out of the danger zone is equal to any winger and his ability to finish, carrying defenders from 5-10 metres out is
powerhouse, scoring tries others simply can't.
Defensively bashes a few on the jam and has not been helped recently with his decision making due to his inside men making
poor reads and missed tackles.
The pre season training photo's show a bloke who is ready to reignite his game, but imho his best has come and gone.
I feel he has some carry over, lingering injuries and this is a big part of confidence which leads to critical errors and makes it
easier to feel lethargic.....which is more than just injuries.
Hope he can get back to his early form - would be a Massive asset.

BUT, the important thing here, is after those bustling runs, the play-the-ball need to be top rate and fast, as that will set the opposition defensive line on its heels, making it easier to make metres, including post contact metres. It will give Elgey / DCE more time. Then off the back of that, hopefully transition to our outside men better, and in a more open environment.

Those initial coming out of our own zone ruck speeds are paramount,

 

[sheridanstand78]

I would like Manly to move on from Jorge, I have seen no improvement over the last 4 years in his ability to deal with bombs, that is a serious weakness and I would rather see someone younger and faster on our flanks that makes us a threat if there is an overlap or a winger who can contest bombs either defensively or attacking wise as we rarely score tries from bombs but concede plenty!!

 

[The Wheel]

He needs to something about his noggin- get a hair cut FFS Jorge. He spends half the game worrying about his hair and making sure his scrunchy doesn’t come off!!

No wonder his drops the pill!

 

[Ryan]

View attachment 10523 He needs to something about his noggin- get a hair cut FFS Jorge. He spends half the game worrying about his hair and making sure his scrunchy doesn’t come off!!

No wonder his drops the pill!

Reminds me of the lion in the Original Wizard of Oz hahaha.
Instead of a heart, maybe he can wish for a pair of new hands? Hahaha. JOKES, come on 40 !

 

[MANLY4LIFE]

I feel hes had 1 season to many with us. The modern winger has moved away from his style of play hes not confident under the highball at all and its cost us many a time ,i wish someone would try him in the second row hes got the running game but his defence would be the question in there !

 

[Peter C]

I watched a game from early 2013 recently and he was amazing. Ran hard, set up some good plays and had some silky skills. The commentators were loving him.
So he CAN do it.........

DID do it, but hasn't done it for quite a few years , and I don't think he can do it any more.
He's had his injury problems so that's against him, his only asset was that he was never blessed with speed to depend on, he just had that power game where he was very hard to stop close to the line, and that's the only thing that will keep him in first grade, however I would say that whatever contract he's currently on, will in all likelihood, be his last with us.

 

[Snake]

I think fully fit, he still has something to give.

I don't entirely agree that the modern winger has moved on from Jorge. The biggest asset the modern winger brings to a side is helping the forwards get out of trouble. Taufua is arguably only behind Josh Mansour and (hate to say it but...) Blake Ferguson in this area. He is also a good finisher because he is impossible to barrel over the touch line. Other wingers like Fusitua have to reenact a gymnast to score the same tries as Jorge. Now Fusitua has been given a heap more opportunities to score tries than Jorge over the last couple of years so statistics are misleading in this area.

The part that he falls away on is obviously the high ball; he is a shocker. He is also not overly fast due to the injuries. In 2014 he footed it with Michael Morgan (who is very quick) to score in the corner against the Cowboys in Gosford. He has been carrying too much weight and I think that has also rendered him a little slower. The conditioning of our players under Barrett and Ferris was terrible. They all looked top heavy and some looked fat. We look heaps better in the preseason photos for 2019. I can see a decent season from Jorge.

 

[CBreeagles]

One of the realities of life is when we look for something ... we can see it everywhere .... just on Jorge's dropped balls etc .... here is a list that took 2 minutes to compile .... I did not look for the worst ... just names we all know ....

ERROR RATES:

Jorge Taufau .. 12 games .. 13 errors ... average 1.08 per game.
Corey Oates .. 23 games .. 25 errors ... average 1.09 per game
Val Holmes .. , 26 games ... 23 errors ... average 0.88 per game
Ado Carr .. 25 games ... 25 errors ... average 1.00 per game
B, French ... 18 games .. 24 errors ... average 1.33 per game
Ferguson ... 27 games ... 34 errors ... average 1.26 per game
Tupou ... 17 games ... 20 errors ... average 1.18 per game ...

It is very clear that Jorges error rate is no higher than the best and certainly better than most wingers .....

A lot depends on when those errors occur, Jorge dropping a bomb and giving the opposition another set on our line is far more costly than other errors and occurs far too often. That’s not to say other wingers do not also drop balls.

 

[Woodsie]

A lot depends on when those errors occur, Jorge dropping a bomb and giving the opposition another set on our line is far more costly than other errors and occurs far too often. That’s not to say other wingers do not also drop balls.

Of course .... but my point is simple .. Jorge is good for an average of one error a game .... but so is every other winger ..... we just remember Jorge's .. but seem to forget the opposition error in our celebration ... I think that he also does them in clusters ... 2 in one game that gets everybody fired up and also distorts the reality slightly ....

 

[The '47ers]

Reminds me of the lion in the Original Wizard of Oz hahaha.
Instead of a heart, maybe he can wish for a pair of new hands? Hahaha. JOKES, come on 40 !

Nah, he needs a heart. Hasn't shown any for a few years now!

 

[double hoops]

Can anyone think of a winger in a DES coached team of years gone, who is a similar style player to Jorge?

 

[Budgie]

I love him. He's scored so many tries for us that no one else would have. Works his guts out. And is such a character, goddamn it! Leave him alone!!
LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!!!!!!!